
This past weekend, the vibes were unmatched at the inaugural Afro Vibe Fest, a two-day festival celebrating Afro-centric culture, music, and arts in Thunder Bay with live stage performances, cultural demonstrations, kids’ activities, local food vendors, and more.
For Sean Trevisanutto, co-owner and president of Creekside Nursery & Garden Centre, gardening and landscaping isn’t just a business, it’s a family legacy rooted in generations of green thumbs.
The XTERRA Sleeping Giant race showcases the stunning outdoor adventure opportunities in Thunder Bay and its surrounding areas. Situated along the north shore of Lake Superior, Thunder Bay features breathtaking boreal forests, crystal-clear waters, and dramatic cliffs, making it an outdoor sports paradise.
“We are an authentic option for Mexican food,” says Rodrigo’s dad, Rodrigo Cosio Sr. “Whatever you eat with us is what you would be getting if you were sitting in my house having dinner, [and] absolutely everything we make is from scratch.”
From Senegal to Morocco and now all the way to Canada, AfroGourmets, a newly launched culinary experience provider, has recently set roots in Thunder Bay. Siblings and co-founders Awa and Ibrahima Diop, who were originally from Senegal but lived in Morocco for 22 years, settled in Thunder Bay earlier this year, bringing with them a world of flavours and culture along with a passion to share it with the community.
Those who’ve ventured up their VIP-esque corridor into the building will be familiar with Pocketchange’s metropolitan cocktail offerings, but what they may not know is what they’re cooking up in the kitchen is on par with everything coming from behind the bar. And while it’s fun to be in on a secret, we at The Walleye won’t be gatekeeping what is arguably the perfect patio season appetizer.
Artists Nicole Sutherland, Anne Winkworth, and Sue Lewis debut their third art show this month at Co.Lab Gallery. The trio share a love of painting, a background in teaching, and a love for working with colour.
“I think all of us as artists in general have more to share than just our tattoos,” says participating artist Renato Marino, who has been tattooing for 11 years. “When you go to a museum or you go to an art show, [people think] ‘Oh, these are artists,’ but then they look at us and they’re like, ‘These are degenerates who draw things,’” Marino laughs.
June is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and in an effort to spark conversations around living with these conditions, the Brain Injury Association of Thunder Bay and Area (BIATBA) is participating in an international art therapy campaign, Unmasking Brain Injury, which is on display in the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s community room until June 20.
Cody Angus’s love of photography and love of live music means that there are plenty of sweaty, colourful, high-energy shots on his website and social media pages.
When Luke Warm and the Cold Ones were set to release their new self-titled album, they wanted a party, a celebration for all they’d accomplished. They wanted all their friends there—but they also wanted their families present, including young kids. The solution was hosting two shows on the same night, with an earlier slot for earlier bedtimes.
“For many Thunder Bay residents, no summer is complete without making the pilgrimage to Birds Hill Provincial Park for the Winnipeg Folk Festival. This year, as the festival celebrates its 50th anniversary, the four-day event remains a cherished tradition.”
-Adrian Lysenko
“Shattered Glass” comes from a place of experience and is about the times in life when everything seems to go wrong at once. The song is about romance and adventure and “that moment when it all falls apart.”
Miley Cyrus is forging a unique musical career in an age when it has never been more difficult to be relevant. Cyrus is also one of those generational artists who is improving with age. Her songwriting, singing, and soulfulness have bloomed in her late 20s and 30s. She may be as close to a Dolly Parton-level crossover star as we will ever see in the 2020s.
Described as Fargo meets Trailer Park Boys, this dark comedy follows Jason/Tumbleweed (Ben Albert), who dreams of becoming a famous rapper. But, he needs money to get to Sudbury to record his album. With the help of his girlfriend Tiffany (Shaundra Benincasa), they come up with a scheme to blackmail his estranged dad James (Greg Bishop) into giving them the money.
Before a single frame of The Moth was shot, co-directors Michelle Derosier and Zoe Gordon were years deep in discussions about the impacts of regional development and ecological change on the land.
It's the most colourful time of year. Pride season has arrived and when it comes to the TBay Drag crew, we’re going full force. Here’s a list of events where you can find some of your favourite queens, kings, and drag performers throughout June.
At Le Cabaret Noir’s sold-out shows last year, the audience was thrilled, titillated, and at times moved to tears by the performances of Thunder Bay’s only burlesque-inspired group. It was sexy, it was fun, and it was powerful to see women embracing their sensuality on stage. This month, from June 11 to 14, the baddies are back at Cambrian Players Theatre with another bold, unapologetic celebration of self-love and female empowerment.
Aysanabee exploded onto the Canadian music scene to national attention and acclaim in 2022, and his latest album, Edge of the Earth, proves that he has much more to say—and we are eagerly listening.
‘Tis the season for festivals, fun, and folk music, and Mt. Joy’s fourth LP, Hope We Have Fun, boasts 13 tracks that sound as good in headphones as they do on a festival stage.
Many of you may know Lights from her 2000s emo pop era; now, while we all may be ready to leave the extreme side bangs behind (if you know, you know), Lights’s new album A6 shows that she is ready to enter a new musical chapter.
My Morning Jacket have come a long way since their debut album, The Tennessee Fire, which was partly recorded in an improvised studio above vocalist/guitarist Jim James’s cousin’s garage. For the Kentucky-bred rock band’s milestone tenth release, they enlisted Grammy Award-winning producer Brendan O’Brien (known for working with Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam).
I was ready for the unexpected on my first day as an outreach worker at Elevate NWO. Elevate is a harm reduction organization responding to treatment and prevention of HIV and Hepatitis C in Thunder Bay and the wider region, but also finds itself responding to other emerging issues. In Thunder Bay, that often means advocating for our unhoused neighbours in the fight for housing, not tents.
All this said, I was nevertheless surprised when all the talk of my first day was about birds!
We experience, create, and appreciate art and making in our own ways. There’s no insider secret code to “getting” public art. Even if you think you don’t know anything about art, even if you’re in no mood to learn, it doesn’t lessen your experience.
The hours are long, the responsibility is huge, and the number of cases in NWO far outnumbers the veterinarians. It’s hard to hold boundaries, but it’s so important to be off the clock. It’s a huge toll on mental health, and people in this profession have a three times higher risk of suicide. To put the stats in perspective; I moved back to Thunder Bay 15 years ago. We have lost three veterinarians here to suicide in that time.
Just like Freddie Mercury once sang, bicycle races are coming your way. The XCM Canadian Championships are back and taking over Kinsmen Park once again.